A shoulder check in the White House? That’s how Elon Musk rolled when a policy spat with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent got too hot to handle.
The New York Post reported that in mid-April 2025, Musk and Bessent clashed over competing plans for the Internal Revenue Service, leading to a physical altercation that ended with Musk’s swift exit from the West Wing.
Their rivalry, fueled by sharp words and sharper elbows, has since spilled into a public feud with President Trump. Here’s how it all went down.
The Oval Office meeting started with Musk and Bessent pitching their visions for the IRS. Trump sided with Bessent, a move that lit the fuse. Things escalated fast when Bessent branded Musk a “fraud.”
“Scott said, ‘You’re a fraud. You’re a total fraud,” Steven Bannon recounted. That jab didn’t sit well with Musk, who’s not exactly known for backing down. Actions, it seems, spoke louder than words.
Musk, in a move straight out of a rugby scrum, rammed his shoulder into Bessent’s rib cage. Bessent, no pushover, fought back. It took multiple people to pull them apart.
The White House didn’t waste time. Musk was promptly escorted out of the West Wing. Insults flew between the two as they exited, loud enough for the president’s office to catch every word.
“President Trump heard about it and said, ‘This is too much,’” Bannon noted. Trump, who’s backed Musk in the past, wasn’t amused by the chaos. Turns out, even billionaires can’t brawl their way to influence.
The incident stayed quiet until Musk’s recent social media tirade against Trump. His posts, raging against Trump’s support for a congressional bill, came just days before June 9, 2025. The timing? Suspiciously convenient.
Musk’s attacks didn’t stop at policy. He accused the Trump administration of hiding Jeffrey Epstein-related documents, claiming Trump’s name was in them. That’s a bold swing, even for a man who body-checks cabinet members.
“I’ve helped Elon a lot,” Trump said on June 5, 2025, expressing his frustration. He called Musk “crazy” and threatened to pull “billions and billions” in federal contracts and subsidies. That’s a hit where it hurts—Musk’s bottom line.
Steven Bannon took it further, demanding a federal probe into Musk’s immigration status and calling for his deportation. Musk, born in South Africa, is an American citizen. Still, Bannon’s rhetoric shows how personal this has gotten.
The White House and Treasury Department stayed silent when asked for comment. Musk’s team? Unreachable. The lack of response only fuels the speculation.
Trump’s support for what he called a “big, beautiful” bill set Musk off. Musk’s social media rampage painted the bill as a betrayal. Funny how a single piece of legislation can turn allies into adversaries.
This isn’t just about a White House tussle; it’s about loyalty and power. Musk’s willingness to go toe-to-toe with Trump’s inner circle shows he’s not afraid to burn bridges. But bridges, once burned, don’t rebuild easily.
